Wolf's Glade
by SkyWolfe
Summary: "It may be assumed that other scientists of my caliber will agree with my conclusion as well as my belief that reptiles of all kinds have been suppressed by our mammalian counterparts...Should this suppression continue, I fear that reptiles may be wiped from this planet after dominating it for millions of years. Victims of a complacent genocide started by their upstart inferiors."
1. Chapter 1

Act 1

It was 3am and they were on the fourth 'Tinkerbun' movie. Once upon a time they were Judy's favorite movie series, heck the argument could be made they were still her favorite. Nick found it almost a little hard to believe. Judy was a tomboy through and through, but she loved a film series about a bunny who was also a fairy in the magical Woodland Hollow where Tinkerbun and friends learned the value of friendship and believing in yourself. It just didn't seem like it was a movie Judy would want to watch. Then again, one could say that about any stereotypical tomboy and Judy was anything but stereotypical.

The pair were in Judy's apartment, sitting on her bed, propped up against wall and wrapped in blankets. Nick had the laptop on his lap and Judy held the popcorn. She was curled into his side, Zootopia's biggest hero, completely entranced as the tiny fairy animal hybrids zip across the screen fleeing from a terrible dragon whose fiery breath that was destroying the entire forest.

"We have to stop it!" One of the fairies, a hedgehog, exclaimed.

"How? We can't get close enough to use the sealing crystal on it!" Tinkerbun asked.

That's when Wesley, Tinkerbun's BFF and possible significant other, swiped the crystal from the heroine's paws.

"I've got an idea, but you're not going to like it." He said, looking longingly at his friend.

"Wesley what are you…"

Before she could finish, he leaned in and gave her a quick kiss.

"About time." Nick said, shaking his head.

"Right?" Judy asked, looking up at him briefly before returning her gaze to the screen.

"It'll be ok." Wesley told his friend before diving into the toxic gas at full speed.

"Wesley no!" Tinkerbun screamed as he disappeared into the purple mist as a bright golden flash engulfed the screen.

"I'm sure he's fine." Nick said, his attention drawn away from the movie by the arrival of a text message. The number wasn't on his contacts list, although he recognized it. He scowled at the text.

 _"_ _Hey bro, long time no see. I'll be in Zootopia for a few days and I was wondering if you wanted to meet up somewhere?"_

"You ok?" Judy asked, having paused the movie.

"Yeah, I'm good." He told her, forcing the scowl off his face.

His partner wasn't buying it.

"Who was that? If you don't mind my asking."

"No one important."

Judy studied his face for a moment before deciding not to press the issue. With a quick tap of the spacebar, the movie was resumed. The dragon was sealed in the crystal, which was held snugly to the rabbit's chest. His wings were charred, dry and cracked. Embers floated from his motionless body.

Tinkerbun flew to her friend's side, tears welling from in her eyes.

"Wesley…please, you can't…I need you, I-I love you."

"He's fine don't worry." Nick told the character.

Wesley didn't move.

There was no magic tear, no unexplainable gasp for air, nothing.

Nick was shocked.

"Wow, they actually killed him."

"Yup, I was so sad when I first saw this." Judy told him.

The end of the movie consisted of sad music, a fantasy funeral, and a final monologue with Tinkerbun reminding the viewer of all the fun adventures the pair had over the past four movies before rolling the credits.

"So yeah, that's the fourth movie for you. Five gets darker and Six is the last one so everything is just crazy. We can watch those another day though." Judy said, closing her laptop.

"We should probably get to bed."

"You ok Carrots?" Nick asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Why?"

"You only invite me over to watch Tinkerbun when you've had a bad day."

She sighed, using her ears to hide her face.

"Come on Carrots, tell me what's wrong."

She was quiet for a few minutes, like she was hoping Nick would give it up and head back home so he could sleep. Nick however patiently waited, even taking out his phone and scrolling through the news.

One headline in particular caught his eye:

"Disgraced scientist to make statement on infamous Wade Study tomorrow in Zootopia."

Nick remembered hearing about the Wade Study when he was in high school. The study was a collection of papers that through fossil records, studies of the animal genome, and a massive collection of statistical data came to the conclusion that reptiles were the superior class of animals. The final passage of the study became one of the most controversial pieces of writing in history.

"It may be assumed that other scientists of my caliber will agree with my conclusion as well as my belief that reptiles of all kinds have been suppressed by our mammalian counterparts so that they could usurp our destined position of power in the world. Should this suppression continue, I fear that reptiles may be wiped from this planet after dominating it for millions of years. Victims of a complacent genocide started by their upstart inferiors."

Needless to say, no one took this well. The scientific community rejected the Wade study's findings almost immediately after reading it. The reptilian community was split, with some believing it and being thrown into upheaval while others rejected it out right. Most mammals scoffed at the study's 'findings' while others were sent into a panic. Was their whole society was built on a lie?

Most ignored it, calling the study a collection of a mad man's ramblings. Now, almost ten years had passed. Many had forgotten about the study, until today. What more could someone have to say about a stack of allegedly falsified scientific data?

Nick resolved to read the article at home before he went to bed. In the corner of his eye, he saw Judy take her ears off her face, showing she was ready to talk.

"Knew you were going to cave." Nick told her.

"Shush." She grumbled, crossing her arms.

"So today, I got called in to help CPS out. They were going to remove a child from an abusive home and they wanted an officer on scene because the father was known to be a violent person. The dad actually wasn't much of a problem, but this kid…they were bringing him out to the CPS cars and he notices me."

Tears were forming in her eyes and ears were starting droop.

"He walks up to me, and he has this horrible black eye. It's practically swollen shut, but he still has this smile on his face. He's smiling at me and he says. Officer Hops, look I'm as tough as you! One day I want to help you solve a case."

Her ears fell and she struggled to finish her story.

"He was 12 years old Nick, he's just a kid. He shouldn't have to be as tough as me. What kind of world do we live in where someone hits their child? Is that a world worth protecting?"

That did it, she started to cry and Nick had to wrap his arms around her. She cried for twenty minutes, trying to mutter apologies for keeping him up for so long. He had none of it, telling her there was nothing to be sorry about. He just rubbed her pack and held her as tight as he dared, fearing she would shatter like glass if he wasn't careful.

"For every person that hurts their kid, robs a bank or gets someone hooked on some nasty new drug there is five more people who do it right. They'll do anything for their kids, they work hard to sustain themselves and their families, they do the right thing even when it's hard. Those are the people we fight for and everyone else, we do our best to help them. I mean, look what you did for me. I know somedays it may not seem like you're making a difference, but you are. The world isn't going to change overnight Carrots."

"Can we even change the world?" She asked, sniffling erratically.

Nick's cynicism and newfound and arguably naïve optimism warred with each other for a moment before coming to a mutual agreement.

"I don't know, but we can try."

After another minute of silence, Judy took a shaky breath.

"Thank you Nick."

"Anytime partner." He said with a grin.

Judy drifted off to sleep with a content sigh, with her last conscious action being giving her partner a quick nuzzle. Nick took the bowl of popcorn from the sleeping bunny and placed it on the floor along with her laptop before dozing off himself, his head coming to rest atop his partners. Neither were woken by the text Nick got just before sunrise.

"I don't know what's going to happen after today, but I hope you can forgive me."

…

A.N-I hope you enjoyed this first chapter! Its main purpose was to act as a prologue. The plot will really get going next chapter. This story will consist of three acts, ten chapters each. One chapter a week. At the time of publishing I hope to have three chapters completed. I have the whole story planned out and I'm really excited to share it with you all.

Until next time,

Sky signing off!


	2. Chapter 2

The next morning, the sound of both their phones going off was what stirred them from their slumber. Over the course of the night, the two had re-positioned themselves so that they were both laying down, snuggled up next to each other.

"Mmmm, what time is it?" Nick asked as Judy lazily reached for her phone. Which was buzzing like crazy on her night stand. She gasped at the notifications on her phone, quickly blinking the sleep out of her eyes.

"11 missed calls?! Cheese and crackers. I thought it was our day off."

"Pretty sure it is, who was calling so much?" Nick asked as he sat up, looking at his phone as well.

"Chief Bogo." She told him as she called their boss back.

"Yeah he called me a bunch too, what do you think is going on?"

Judy shrugged as her call was answered.

"Hopps, thank goodness. I know it's your day off but I need all hands on deck. You and Wilde need to get to the station ASAP."

"What's going on Chief?" Judy asked as police cruisers raced by their apartment, sirens blaring.

"Turn on the news." Bogo told her before hanging up.

"Nick, pull up the news." Judy said, opening her closet to get her uniform.

"On it." He said, grabbing her laptop and opening it up. He turned towards the wall so that she could get dressed. The local news website was broadcasting, and quickly opened up the video.

"For those of you just joining us, we can now confirm that the shooting at the Center of Biological Sciences on Lionheart University has resulted in seven casualties. One of them being Richard Wade. A scientist who had just announced that the results found in the infamous Wade Study were fabricated. Before he could elaborate, an individual entered the lecture hall and gunned down Wade, two ZPD officers and as well as a camera operator Tillo Auer and news reporter Awotwi Arendse. Both of whom…I'm sorry."

The news anchor paused, collecting herself while her colleague placed a comforting hoof on her back.

"Both of whom will be sorely missed…Police are asking citizens to keep an eye out for the shooters. Who are to be considered armed and dangerous. If you see the shooter, call 911 immediately. Do not attempt to confront or approach him. We know this photo is not the best quality but it is all we have at the moment."

"Nick, what's does he look like?" Judy asked.

Her partner was silent.

"Nick?"

He looked up at her, his eyes wide with shock.

"Judy…it's my brother."

…

The briefing room was chaos, officers phoning home to either inform their loved ones of their status or calling other officers trying to figure out where they were. Others debating about the motivation behind the shooting. All those conversations ended when Bogo entered the room, flanked by a Tiger in a charcoal grey suit with a red tie.

"Alright everyone listen up. I know you're all chomping at the bit to go after this guy, but before we get started with that we have some things to discuss with our friend here. He has the floor and thus your undivided attention. Is that clear?"

The officers nodded and Bogo looked to the tiger.

"Go ahead."

"Thank you Chief." He said before addressing the room.

"Ladies and gentleman, my name is Gyles Audley from the Center of Zoological Intelligence, Section 5. The Domestic Branch. What I am about to share with you does not leave this room. If any information that is gained through this briefing is leaked, I will find out who it was and prosecute you for treason."

There were a few murmurs in the otherwise silent room.

"CZI-6, the international branch, fears that this more than a random shooting. They fear that this could be a prelude to something much larger. They could be wrong. We could catch the shooter tonight and this could all just be a very bad day. That being said, there is reason to believe that this was not a random shooting. This may have been an assassination. There are radicalized groups that drew strength from the Wade Study's findings. He threatened to take that power away overnight, and so he was silenced. Killed by a mammal no less. I'm sure by day's end there will be at least 100 conspiracy videos on MooTube explain how this was all a mammalian conspiracy to further the reptilian genocide."

Gyles took a deep breath while Judy and Nick exchanged worried looks.

"If this is the case, you need to be vigilant. As the symbol of law and order, you will be targeted. Your families will be targeted. You cannot waver in the face of this threat. The city will draw strength from your strength and your courage. Stand fast, stand firm and stand together. That is all."

Gyles stepped aside as Bogo took the floor.

"Alright everyone listen up, these are your assignments.

"Chief!" Nick asked, raising his hand to draw attention to himself.

"Yes Officer Wilde."

"I know the suspect. Jason Wilde, few inches shorter than me. Always has a toothpick in his mouth. On a day like today he'd be wearing a blue track sweater. He has multiple hide outs in every district of the city. Usually abandoned building close to subway entrances. So if he needs to get across town fast he can. I doubt he is in his apartment, but if he is its down by the water in Savannah Central. If somebody gets me a map, I can get start marking these places up."

Bogo pulled down the large map of the city over the chalkboard and tossed a marker to Nick.

"Go to work Officer Wilde." He told him.

"Officer Hopps, when he's done you two are to escort Mr. Audley back to his headquarters. Then I want you investigating Jason's apartment. If you turn up nothing, then you are to search the rest of the Savannah Central hideouts. Assuming you haven't found anything after that, you are to report to me for your next assignment."

"Understood." Judy replied.

…

The day's searches were fruitless. Jason's apartment had been picked clean. His old hideouts hadn't been used in years. He even handed Jason's phone number over to Bogo but it proved to be untraceable. It was highly probable he had used a burner phone. As the sun set over the shaken city, the officers of the ZPD were recalled from the field. They were to be switched out with a group of well rested officers that would search all through the night and to be switched out again come morning. Rather than return home, Judy and Nick were summoned to the CZI-5 headquarters at the Oasis Hotel in the heart of Sahara Square. Apparently Mr. Audley wanted a word.

The last place you'd expect for an intelligence agency's headquarters to be was in the 'mechanical room' of the city's most popular hotel. The space wasn't very large. A single elevator allowed access to the inner sanctum of CZI-5. Large glass panels acted as walls, carving out offices for the science staff as well as the organization's senior members. The floors and wall were bare concrete with only decoration being the polished silver emblem of the agency, which had Zootopia's coat of arms over the top of a spade. The coat of arms itself depicted a shield split into fourths. An elephant in one with a lion in the other, each animal diagonal to each other. This was to show the unification between predator and prey. The other two symbols were a fragment of a wreath and a scale to symbolize truth and justice respectively. This emblem sat right outside of Audley's office, where he sat at his desk waiting for Judy and Nick. Behind him was a darkened window that gave the head of the agency a panoramic view of Sahara Square with Downtown in the distance.

"You wanted to see us sir?" Judy asked as she and Nick walked in.

"Yes Officer, I was taking a look at your file. Well both of your files. Specifically, the Nighthowler case. It's quite impressive that an officer fresh out of the academy and a con man were able to crack a case that the ZPD's best detectives had been working on for weeks. Your performance demonstrates an aptitude for solving difficult problems."

"It sounds to me like you are going to try and recruit us." Nick muttered.

"I am; you see my superiors are afraid that Mr. Wilde will attempt to the country. If he leaves we lose the home field advantage and we also loose the ability to consult you on his behavior."

Audley stood up and turned his back to the officers.

"You'll be of far greater use to us than you will be to Chief Bogo. His jurisdiction, and thus yours, has limits. Our jurisdiction stretches as far as we are willing to reach. If you join us in this investigation, we may just be able to apprehend Jason before he hurts anyone else."

"A pair of cops being turned into spies, that's a pretty big leap." Judy said, looking to Nick nervously.

Audley turned back around to face them.

"I know it sounds daunting, but it would only be a temporary assignment and you two have proven yourselves as a very effective pair out in the field. Once Jason is apprehended you would return to your normal lives. If we move fast and use our heads, I doubt it'll take more than a week."

"You don't have to do this Judy. All they really need is me. He's my brother after all." Nick told her.

"Oh no, you're my partner. Wherever you go, I go. If you want to do this, then I'm going with you." She said, putting her hands on her hips.

Nick sighed, looking at the floor in contemplation. Did he really want to drag her into this? What if things didn't end with Jason like Audley had warned them back at the station. What if getting involved just puts a bigger target on their backs?

Finally, he looked to his partner. She gave him a reassuring grin, her sparking violet eyes almost alluding to the world of mystique and danger they were about to enter. There was something else too, but he couldn't place it.

"Ready to make the world a better place?" She asked.

Nick nodded and Audley clapped his hands together.

"Splendid, then let me be the first to say welcome aboard!"

He walked over to each of them and shook their paws.

They were no longer Officer Hopps and Officer Wilde of Zootopia Police Department. They were Agent Hopps and Agent Wilde of the Center of Zoological Intelligence, Section Five.

…

A.N-That's chapter two for you! Initially I was going to publish this next Friday, but I wanted to give the opening a bit more momentum. Hope you enjoyed everyone, have a good one!

Until next time,

Sky signing off!


	3. Chapter 3

Just like she had at the Police Academy, Judy flew through her psych evaluation. The room she had been placed in was on the south face of the building. The examiner and her sat at round stainless steel table. Judy's file was opened in front of her and various case files were spread across the smooth metal surface of the table. To her immediate right was the south side of Sahara Square and past that, the stretch of Zootopia's coastline and its many many luxurious beach homes.

The past came up just like it had last time and she had to explain why she decided to become a police officer.

"After that scuffle with Gideon, I told myself I was going to prove him wrong. I was going to prove everyone who ever told me I couldn't be a cop wrong. I was going to make the world a better place."

"Do you believe that?" The Doctor asked.

"Believe what?"

"That the world can be made better. Lately it seems like things have only been getting worse."

"Well yeah, after a day like today it seems bad. Even then, I think people will come together. This city will come together like they always do and we will heal."

"You assume their will is infinite. You assume that this city and its ideals will stand firm in the face of any crisis. You proved this belief to be false. You almost destroyed the foundation of this city single handily with nothing more than a poorly worded statement."

"Yeah it's true that I came to Zootopia with unrealistic expectations of what it was, but that doesn't change what I think it could become. I still believe in what this place stands for.

A place where animals of all spots and stripes can come to live and work together so that they can better understand each other and the world they live in. So they can try, at least try, and solve the world's problems. To try and make the world a better place. That's what I believe in, that's why I wear this uniform, because I believe I can help change the world."

The Doctor smiled softly at her.

"Your passion is admirable Officer. You see the world through a different lens than me. What I see out in the world thoroughly disproves your beliefs. The world is incapable of change. Walls come down for only a short time, good deeds are always repaid with punishment, and the ideals that Zootopia has built itself on is challenged every day. It remains a beautiful oddity in an otherwise ugly world."

Judy sighed before giving the doctor a hopeful smile.

"Well I hope, one day, I can change your mind."

"As do I, you are dismissed Miss Hopps. Please send Mr. Wilde in on your way out."

…

"Alright Mr. Wilde, we're going to start with a word association test and if we find any abnormalities we'll address those. If not, we'll just go down the checklist. Sound good?"

"Yeah, let's get started."

"Very well, Sky."

"Blue."

"Mountain."

"Tall."

"Tree."

"Green."

"City."

"Zootopia."

"Finnick."

"Accomplice."

"Clawhauser."

"Doughnut."

"Bogo."

"Boss."

"Judy."

Nick hesitated, his eyes drifting to the left where she and Audley were standing.

"Carrots." He said finally, a grin appearing on his face. The examiner made a quick note before continuing.

"Robbery."

"Monday."

"Mugging."

"Tuesday."

"Embezzlement."

"Wednesday."

"Assault."

"Thursday."

"Murder."

"Friday."

"Mother."

Nick's expression hardened.

"Gone."

"Father."

"Forgotten."

"Brother."

"Shame."

"Wolf's Glade."

Nick blinked, once, twice.

"Pardon?"

"Wolf's Glade." The Doctor said a bit louder.

Nick's ears twitched like they wanted to fall down. His eyes longed for the floor but he didn't allow them to fall away from the doctor's gaze.

"Childhood." He finally muttered.

"Very good Nick, we have a few places we could start but I think your brother would be best. As he seems the most relevant." The Doctor said, adjusting his glasses.

"Your relationship with your brother, would you call it healthy?"

"Our personalities clashed all too often. It was a working relationship, but not a healthy one." Nick began.

"Would you care to elaborate?"

"We lived under the same roof, we shared a bathroom and a bedroom. We could make small talk during a car trip or at the dinner table, but there was no love there. No genuine interest in the other's well-being. We were apathetic to the other's existence."

"Why is that?"

"We were fundamentally different. I was like Mom; he was like Dad. Dad loved him to death, they seemed to do everything together. Yet he hardly gave me the time of day. Jason was always disrespectful to Mom; he took her for granted. So when he saw that I connected with her so easily, I think it bothered him. Dad went after Mom for that, saying she was playing favorites. That she needed to do her job better. He tore her down every other night. It was hard to watch."

"Would you say your parents were to blame for the rift that grew between you two?"

Nick shook his head, taking a deep breath.

"They tried to get us to bond and reconnect. Things were too far gone by that point. We hated each other, it's sad to say but it's true. Him going after Mom one night was the last straw. We fought, and it was worse than any fight we had before. Dad had to pull us off of each other, not long after that we went our separate ways. The only thing we had in common was a last name."

The doctor jotted down a short paragraph before looking Nick dead in the eye.

"Over the course of this operation, there may come a point where you may be forced to confront Jason. If it came to this, and no other option was available to you, would you hesitate to kill him?"

"Not even for a second."

The Doctor nodded solemnly.

"You are dismissed Mr. Wilde."

Judy pulled Nick aside after his psych evaluation, her troubled expression letting him know he was in trouble. Audley gave the two a glance before continuing without them.

"Nick, why didn't you tell me about your brother?" Judy asked.

"Didn't seem important." He replied.

"Nick, I know you think you're the street smart tough guy who never needs any help but-"

He glared at her.

"You know? No you think you know but you don't. You haven't the slightest idea of who I am or what I've done. I make it a point to make sure that nobody knows everything about me."

Her ears drooped but her eyes hardened, not out of anger, but out of concern. She was determined to get her point across.

"You're my partner, my best friend and yes you're right. I don't know everything about you but I'd like to."

Nick shook his head in disbelief.

"Why? Do you really want to listen to the sob story that's my childhood?"

"Yes! I do!"

"But why, why do you care so much?"

"Because you listened to mine, you dumb fox!"

The answer caught Nick by surprise, and his expression softened. His guard had been lowered, not by much, but it was something Judy knew she could work with.

"So now I intend to return the favor, not because I feel like I have to. It's because I want to."

She reached out to him, gently putting a paw on his arm .

"Look, I don't expect you to tell me everything. I know that there are somethings that you might not feel comfortable sharing with me, for whatever reason. That being said, I hope you know you can tell me anything. I'll always be here for you."

"Always is a long time Carrots."

"Well a girls gotta do what a girls gotta do. I have to keep an eye on you, you know too much."

Her playful smirk calmed him down some more and a silence fell over their discussion for a few minutes before she looked at him with a worry.

"Do you really hate your brother that much?"

"Yeah…afraid so." He said with a sigh.

"Did you two try and reconcile at all?"

Nick shook his head.

"I haven't seen him since I- "

He paused, choosing his words carefully.

"-I left home, and that was a long time ago."

"Why didn't you ever tell me about him, if you don't mind my asking?"

"I just didn't see any reason to, and deep down I didn't want you to think less of me. You get along so well with your siblings; it seems like everyone else does too."

"I doubt it's as perfect as it seems, in my case I know it's not perfect. Besides, I'm sure there are others who've lost touch with their siblings."

"Yeah, probably…" Nick said, casting his gaze towards the ground.

"You know…its days like today and yesterday that make me want to give up. "

"Really?"

Judy nodded, looking almost ashamed for admitting it.

"It's a constant uphill battle when you set out thinking you can change the world. It's worse when the whole city idolizes you. It's hard after a day like today to look somebody in the eye and say: I'm sorry your son got killed today, but don't worry, it'll be ok. We're going to catch the guy who did it. If they knew how exhausted I am, trying to be their hero all the time, do you think they would they think less of me?"

"You save a lot of lives when you cracked the Nighthowler case. You'll save many more before your time is up. I know it's hard to have faith all the time, I couldn't do it. That's why I was the way I was when you met me and yeah I've been getting better, little by little, every day since then. But the cynicism is still there, and I don't think it'll ever go away…but I want it to go away because I want to see the world how you see it. Your amazing Judy, and if you came out and said you were tired, I don't think they would hold it against you. To wake up every day with that optimism, that energy, it's incredible. That's why people love you, that's why I love you."

Judy blinked away a few tears.

"Nick…thank you…I really needed to hear that."

"No problem. Come on, Audley's been waiting long enough."

…

A gecko was chained to a rickety old bed. He couldn't see much of anything around him, aside from the two IV lines running from his arm into the shadows that surrounded him on all sides. Above his IV's was a black armband with a symbol. An eclipsed sun with a white aura in the shape of a stylized snake, its head directly over the top of the sun. Its jaws opened, ready to devour the darkened star. The armband was a demonstration of his loyalty, why was this happening? Had he done something wrong?

Then an elegant voice slithered its way into his ears.

"Heroes, this world loves them. We love to watch movies about them, read their life stories and compare our struggles to theirs in hopes that because we are similar, we'll turn out just like them. Professor Wade was my hero at one time. I was young chemist when he published the Wade Report, working hard in the University laboratories. What I saw in the pages of that report amazed me. All my life, I thought that my kind would always be seen as outcasts. Creepy, ugly, cold and unfeeling. That's what people thought I was. I didn't try to change their minds, how could I? They were already made up."

A sickly yellow ichor began making its way up the IV lines.

"The Wade Report made me realize I wasn't alone in these feelings. Other reptiles were being suppressed as well. The world hated us and when the Wade Report made us realize it, they tried to take it away from us. They pulled it from our University's website, academic magazines, even the hard copies in the labs were confiscated. They thought the truth was a fabrication when the only fabrication was their control of this planet. We tried to rally against them, but we were only met with more disdain. Harassed at our gatherings, esteemed members of our community arrested on flimsy charges, hated by everyone for wanting to be treated fairly."

The Gecko whimpered as the ichor began flowing into his arm. He started to shake uncontrollably he felt the toxin flow through his veins.

"They even took my hero from me, getting him to destroy his life's work in one fell swoop. So I had him killed, by a Fox no less, so that his image would be preserved in the eyes of those who looked up to him. You helped ensure that this plan succeeded, but for that you had to know the truth. That Professor Wade really believed his study was a lie. If this were to get out, it would destroy us. So, in order to ensure our victory, I had to kill you. I'm sorry."

The Gecko's began to thrash as his skin began to bubble and his eyes turned red as they were filled with blood. He tried to speak but could only gargle in protest.

"Your death will serve a purpose, the first test of my new toxin. The tool that will bring about the end of the mammalian oppression. A few days from now your brothers and sisters will strike at the heart of their world, filling them with the fear that found a home in our hearts long ago. On that day, we will take from them their heroes. We will force them to their knees and make them renounce everything that ever made them who they are. Their legend will be destroyed and when the dust settles they will be mere mortals. Then, death will come for them. A death that you are experiencing right now. Savor it, every burning nerve, every gasp for air, every ounce of agony. Savor it and know it is a death that our enemies be forced to endure, know that it is all thanks to you. Thank you Peter and goodbye."

The Gecko went limp as cloudy white foam rose from the back of his throat and spilled from his mouth, mixing with thick strands of coagulated blood and saliva. With an almost content sigh, Peter expired.

…

A.N-Well I hope I didn't butcher psychology too much! The psych evaluation and talk afterwards were originally two separate chapters, but i decided to combine them for flow. The final scene was something I was a bit nervous about. I may bump the rating up just to be safe. Hope you all enjoyed this chapter!

Until next time,

Sky signing off!


End file.
